Weft cutter control apparatus

ABSTRACT

An improved weft cutter control device for shuttleless looms of the pick and pick insertion type, which in timed relation to the insertion and beat-up of each pick of weft is effective in causing generally linear movement of the cutter between an operative position at the fabric fell line and an inoperative position located upwardly and forwardly of the fell so that the cutter is clear of the loom reed during beat-up.

[ Dec. 9, 1975 United States Patent [191 Budzyna WEFTCU'ITER CONTROL APPARATUS 3,530902 9/1970 [75] Inventor: Edward S. Budzyna, East Douglas, :212:

Mass.

[73] Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation,

Primary ExaminerHenry S. Jaudon Pittsburgh, Pa.

ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Mar. 12, 1975 [5.7]

-- An improved weft cutter control device for shuttleless [21] Appl. No.: 557,500

looms of the pick and pick insertion type, which in timed relation to the insertion and beat-up of each pick of weft is effective in causing generally linear movement of the cutter between an operative position at the fabric fell line and an inoperative position located upwardly and forwardly of the fell so that the cutter is clear of the loom reed during beat-up.

40 5 6 4 B5 whim D6; 32 2 m m 90 oo 30 2 1 96 4 W W W 4, "W 3 Q m m WWWZ mmmw mTm "u 7 m M m i-1m C d UIF mum 555 [ll [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,807,745 6/1931 139/264 4 Clams 4 Drawmg Fgures US. Patent Dec. 9, 1975 3,924,662

l L J WEFT CUTTER CONTROL APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention:

The invention pertains to a weft cutter control mechanism for shuttless looms of the pick and pick insertion type. The control mechanism includes means for effecting generally linear movement of the cutter as it is moved to its weft cutting position in close proximity with the edge of the fabric and to its rest or inoperative position which is clear of the path of travel of the looms reed during beat-up of the weft.

2. Description of the Prior Art:

As is well known to those conversant in the weaving art, the formation of fabric by the so-called pick and pick system in shuttleless looms to which the present invention is applicable, the weft thread, from its source, remains threaded through an eyelet in the back wall of the inserting carrier such as is shown and described in US. Pat. No. 3,779,288. Prior to this carriers movement toward the shed to insert a given pick, the weft yarn from its source extends through a eyelet in the back wall of the carrier and to the edge of the fabric where it is connected to the previously inserted pick of weft. When the inserting carrier is caused to move toward the shed to insert the next pick, the weft is guided across the interior of the carrier and into a gripping element which forms a part of the forward wall of said carrier. As this carrier continues to move toward the shed the lay beam and reed supported thereby are being pivoted rearwardly from the position of beat-up of the previously inserted pick. During this time the warp threads are crossing to present a new shed opening and the thread cutter is caused to perform its intended function of cutting the weft at a point interme diate the gripping element on the forward wall of the carrier and the side of the fabric to which it extends. The cutting of the weft in this manner forms a so-called fringe on both sides of the woven fabric with the cut end of the'previously inserted pick extending from the weft insertion side of the fabric and the end carried into the shed by the carrier extending from the opposite side of the fabric.

A problem which has existed with shuttleless looms of the single pick insertion type is that of which is considered excessive length of the fringe on the weft insertion side of the fabric and which necessitates an additional fabric finishing operation for cutting off these ends to a desirable and acceptable length.

Known forms of weft cutters are positioned so as to provide clearance between then and the looms reed during the latters movement with the lay beam to and from weft beat-up position. Very frequently with width of the fabric being woven is less than the length of the looms reed and results in an undesirable length of fringe on the weft insertion side of the fabric.

The weft cutter control device according to the present invention has eliminated the problems of excessive fringe length on the weft insertion side of the fabric and additional fabric finishing step many mills have considered necessary by shearing said fringe to an acceptable length.

This is accomplished by moving the weft cutter in a generally linear direction and in timed relation with movement of the reed from an inoperative position, clear of said reed at beat-u p, to a weft cutting or opera- 2 tive position located in close proximity with the fabric edge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The weft cutter control apparatus of the present invention includes a cutter mounting bar with the weft cutter slidably carried therein. This cutter mounting bar is pivotably mounted on a pivotable mounting lever in a manner which provides a fulcrum point between the ends of said cutter mounting bar. The pivotable mounting lever is connected to a cutter shaft that is oscillatably driven by cam means from the looms weft control housing and is effective in alternately moving the cutter between operative and inoperative positions. A cutter actuating lever is operatively connected at one end to the cutter and its opposite end is connected to the cutter shaft in a manner to effect actuation of the cutter when moved to its operative position by the pivotable mounting lever. A cutter bar control lever connects the end of the cutter mounting bar, on the opposite side of the fulcrum point from the cutter, and extending forwardly therefrom its opposite end is pivotably connected at a fixed location above and slightly forward of the cutter shaft. The combination of elements which operatively interconnect the cutter with the cutter shaft defines a parallelogram linkage device which provides a generally linear movement of the cutter between its operative and inoperative positions.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a weft cutter control apparatus which is effective in causing the cutter to cut each pick of weft closer to the weft insertion side of the fabric that has been heretofore possible.

Another object of the invention is to provide a weft cutter control apparatus which is effective in causing the cutter to cut each pick of weft so as to form a fringe of predetermined and acceptable length thereby elminating the additional fabric finishing operation of shearing said fringe.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which in timed sequence with operation of the loom provides a minimum amount of time and distance to alternatively move the weft cutter between its operative and inoperative positions.

These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent by reference to the appended claims and as the following detailed description proceeds in reference to the figures of drawing wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of a shuttleless loom showing the weft cutter control apparatus according to the invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing further detail of the means for moving the cutter between its operative and inoperative positions;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the weft cutter and control apparatus therefore shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view in said elevation of the cutter and its associated linkage as seen looking in the direction of the indicating arrow 4 in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing wherein only as much of conventional shuttleless loom structure is depicted as is necessary to a complete understanding of the invention, there is shown in FIG. 1 the looms lay beam 10 3 that extends between the loom frames (not shown). The lay beam supports a conventional form of reed 11 through which warp threads 12 are adapted to pass.

A weft inserting carrier 13 is shown in FIG. 1 and in a known manner is fixed to the end of an inserter or flexible tape 14 which during the performance of its intended function is wrapped about and unwrapped from a tape wheel (not shown) located at the side of the loom.

In FIG. 3 a portion of the loom s weft control housing is shown at 15 which is mounted in the usual manner on the upper right-hand side of the loom and has rotatably supported therein a pair of cam members 16 and 17. These cam members are contiguously mounted on a driven shaft (not shown) that is rotated in a known manner by gear means from the looms cam shaft. Cam member 16 functions as the cutter positioning cam while cam member 17 serves to actuate the weft cutter and will be more fully described hereinafter.

The weft cutter controlled by the apparatus comprising the invention is identified generally in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 by numeral 18 and is slidably carried in a cutter mounting bar 19. This cutter mounting bar is pivotally mounted to one end of the pivotable mounting lever 20 by means of a bolt 21 FIGS. 1 and 3 which provide a fulcrum point between the ends of said cutter mounting bar. The opposite end of the pivotable mounting lever 20 is in the form of a hub 22 having an integrally formed lug 23 that extends in a forwardly direction and serves as a means for limiting movement of the pivotable mounting lever for reasons yet to be described. The hub 22 of the pivotable mounting lever 20 is assembled on a cutter shaft 24 which is horizontally supported for oscillating movement in a U-shaped bracket member generally indicated in FIG. 3 by numeral 25.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the weft cutter control apparatus also includes a cutter actuating lever 26 one end of which is curved as at 27 and is provided in this curved portion with an arcuated cam channel 28.

The weft cutter generally indicated by numeral 18 includes a blade element 29 which is fixed in and protrudes from the lower end of the cutter mounting bar 19. Slidably carried in the cutting bar 19 and in frictional engagement with blade element 29 a cutting blade 30 is provided (FIG. 4) which when lowered, as will be described cooperates with said blade element 29 to cut the weft. Adjacent the upper end of the cutting blade 30 a laterally extending pin 31 is provided which extends into the arcuated cam channel 28 and serves as the operating connection between said cutting blade and the cutter actuating lever 26.

The end of the cutter actuating lever opposite the curved end 27 is in the form of a hub 32 which is fixed on the cutter shaft 24 in close proximity with hub 22 (FIG. 3) by means of a retaining pin 33.

The pivotable mounting lever 20 and the cutter actuating lever 26 are continually urged into general alignment, one with the other by means of a torsion type spring 34. This spring 34 as shown in FIG. 3 is carried on a retaining member 35 which assembles in and extends laterally from one side of the pivotable mounting lever 20. To provide the required biasing force to urge these levers into alignment, one end of the torsion spring 34 is in contact with hub 22 of the pivotable mounting lever 20 and the opposite end engages a pin element 36 (FIG. 3) fixed in the side of the cutter actuating lever 26 and extends laterally therefrom beneath and beyond said pivotable mounting lever 20.

A cutter bar control lever 37 completes the number of linkage elements for the'weft cutter control apparatus and has one end thereof pivotably connected to the end of the cutter mounting bar 19 as at 38 which is the opposite side of the fulcrum point from the end at which the cutter l8 performsits intended function. The opposite end of this cutter bar control lever 37 is pivotably connected as at 39 to an L-shaped bracket 40 that is adjustably assembled on a support bracket 41 by means of a stop bolt 42 and lock nuts 43 and 44 (FIG. 1). The head of this stop bolt 42 is identified in FIG. 1 by numeral 45 and is disposed so as to engage the upper surface of the lug 23 integrally formed on the hub 22 of the pivotable mounting lever 20 when the cutter 18 is in its operative position.

The combination of the pivotable mounting lever 20, cutter mounting bar 19 and the cutter bar control lever 37 and the means by which they are operatively associated with the oscillatable cutter shaft 24 defines a parallelogram linkage device for effecting generally linear movement of the cutter 18 between the solid line operative position and the phantom line inoperative position shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 3 the support bracket 41 is assembled to the side of the weft control housing 15 by means of cap screws 46 and 47 which also provide the means for the assembly of the U-shaped bracket 25 to said control housing. This support bracket 41 includes an adjustment slot 48 which extends in a plane parallel with the axis of the cutter shaft 24 and provides a means for re-locating bracket 40 in the event it is necessary to change the location of the weft cutter control apparatus on said cutter shaft.

The cutter shaft 24 is oscillated by means interconnecting it with thecam members 16 and 17 which includes a cam follower in the form of a roller 49 (FIGS. 2 and 3) carried on the forward end of a spring biased tappet-like member 50 which maintains said roller 49 in contact with the outer periphery of said cam members. The opposite end of this tappet-like member is in frictional contact with a roller element 51 which is carried on and disposed intermediate the ends of an upwardly directed lever 52 (FIGS. 2 and 3). The lower end of lever 52 is in the form of a hub 53 and is fixed on the cutter shaft 24 by means of a key 54 as shown in FIG. 2. The upper end of lever 52 is also provided with a hub 55 (FIG. 2) within which a pin 56 assembles and serves as shown in this FIG. as a means for attaching one end of a coil spring 57. Extending in a forwardly direction the opposite end of a coil spring 57 is suitably attached at a fixed location (not shown) and the combination of said spring and lever 52 maintain roller 49 in contact with the outer periphery of either cam member 16 or 17.

To summarize the operation the lay beam and reed supported thereby are caused to be moved to and fro in a well known manner during the insertion and beat-up of each pick of weft. After the beat-up of a given pick the lay beam and reed commence to move rearwardly as the upper and lower sheets of warp threads reverse their positions to form a new shed for the next pick. During this time the weft inserting carrier is moving toward the shed and the dictates of cams l6 and 17 within the weft control housing are effective upon the cutter shaft so as to move the weft cutter 18 to its operative position. Cam 16 is effective in rotating the cutter shaft 24 to a position that moves the weft cutter to the solid line-position shown in FIG. 1 which is its operative position. The extent of this movement brings lug 23 of the pivotable mounting lever 20 into contact with the head 45 of the stop bolt thereby preventing further pivotable movement of said lever 20 and the weft cutter carried thereby. After the weft cutter has reached its operative position cam 17 makes contact with roller 49 and is effective in pivoting the cutter actuating lever 26 a short distance beyond the location the pivotable mounting lever 20 is capable of moving. The additional pivotal movement of the cutter actuating lever 26 is effective in actuating the cutter by moving the cutting blade 30 downwardly to a cooperating position with the lower portion of blade element 29.

Continued rotation of cams 16 and 17 bring the low points of said cams to a position which causes roller 49 to move in a forwardly direction by the biasing force of coil spring 57 which maintains said roller in contact with the periphery of said cams. This movement also rotates the cutter shaft in an anticlockwise direction causing the weft cutter to be raised to the phantom line position shown in FIG. 1.

By moving the weft cutter is a generally linear direction from an inoperative position above and forwardly of the fabric fell line to an operative position at the fabric fell line only a minimum amount of travel distance and time is required for the cutter to perform its intended function and then be relocated clear of the path of travel of the loom reed at beat-up.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand.

Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a shuttleless loom in which weft yarn is inserted into the shed formed by warp yarns from a stationary source located outside of the shed and in which after insertion the weft is beat into the fabric fell by the loom reed and then trimmed by a cutter operated by a cutter shaft, the combination comprising:

a. a cutter;

b. pivotable mounting lever connected to the cutter shaft;

c. a cutter mounting bar mounted on said pivotable mounting lever to provide a fulcrum point between the ends of said cutter mounting bar, said cutter being slidably carried in said cutter mounting bar for operative cooperation with one end of the latter in cutting the weft;

d. a cutter actuating lever operatively connected adjacent one end to said cutter with the opposite end being connected to said cutter'shaft;

e. cutter bar control lever means pivotably connecting the end of said cutter mounting bar on the opposite side of the fulcrum point from the cutter cooperating end thereof to a fixed pivotal position adjacent said cutter shaft, said cutter actuating lever and said cutter bar control lever means cooperating during actuation of said cutter shaft to move said cutter between an operative position at the fabric line and an inoperative position located upwardly and forwardly of the fabric fell line so that the cutting mechanism is clear of the loom reed during beatup.

2. The improved cutter support means according to claim 1 wherein said cutter includes a laterally extending pin member operatively connected to said cutter actuating lever for effecting actuation of said cutter by said cutter actuating lever when moved to its operative position by said pivotable mounting lever.

3. The improved cutter supported means according to claim 2 wherein said cutter actuating lever includes an arcuated cam channel into which said pin member extends to provide the operating connection between said cutter and actuating lever and for guiding the movement of said cutter mounting bar and cutter during their movement between operative and'inoperative positions by said pivotable mounting lever.

4. The improved cutter support means according to claim 1 wherein the combination of said pivotable mounting lever, cutter mounting bar and cutter bar control lever and their operative association with the cutter shaft defines a parallelogram linkage device for effecting generally linear movement of said cutter between its operative and inoperative positions. 

1. In a shuttleless loom in which weft yarn is inserted into the shed formed by warp yarns from a stationary source located outside of the shed and in which after insertion the weft is beat into the fabric fell by the loom reed and then trimmed by a cutter operated by a cutter shaft, the combination comprising: a. a cutter; b. pivotable mounting lever connected to the cutter shaft; c. a cutter mounting bar mounted on said pivotable mounting lever to provide a fulcrum point between the ends of said cutter mounting bar, said cutter being slidably carried in said cutter mounting bar for operative cooperation with one end of the latter in cutting the weft; d. a cutter actuating lever operatively connected adjacent one end to said cutter with the opposite end being connected to said cutter shaft; e. cutter bar control lever means pivotably connecting the end of said cutter mounting bar on the opposite side of the fulcrum point from the cutter cooperating end thereof to a fixed pivotal position adjacent said cutter shaft, said cutter actuating lever and said cutter bar control lever means cooperating during actuation of said cutter shaft to move said cutter between an operative position at the fabric line and an inoperative position located upwardly and forwardly of the fabric fell line so that the cutting mechanism is clear of the loom reed during beatup.
 2. The improved cutter support means according to claim 1 wherein said cutter includes a laterally extending pin member operatively connected to said cutter actuating lever for effecting actuation of said cutter by said cutter actuating lever when moved to its operative position by said pivotable mounting lever.
 3. The improved cutter supported means according to claim 2 wherein said cutter actuating lever includes an arcuated cam channel into which said pin member extends to provide the operating connection between said cutter and actuating lever and for guiding the movement of said cutter mounting bar and cutter during their movement between operative and inoperative positions by said pivotable mounting lever.
 4. The improved cutter support means according to claim 1 wherein the combination of said pivotable mounting lever, cutter mounting bar and cutter bar control lever and their operative association with the cutter shaft defines a parallelogram linkage device for effecting generally linear movement of said cutter between its operative and inoperative positions. 